OTTAWA – Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s appearance at a meeting of Canada’s finance ministers this week has renewed backroom speculation about whether his health will allow him to continue in his job.

As meetings at Meech Lake began on Monday, Flaherty was seen to struggle to get out of his car, and his voice was painfully weak as he addressed reporters later.

In the hours-long meeting with his provincial counterparts, he sat in silence most of the time, sometimes with his eyes closed, allowing minister of state, Kevin Sorenson, to chair the meeting.

“He did not seem like a well man,” said a person who was in the room. “He kind of closed his eyes a number of times, but whether that was just him sitting there listening or not, I don’t know.”

Tuesday on Parliament Hill, Flaherty was seen by a reporter walking with great difficulty.

In January, Flaherty went public with news about his health condition, bullous pemphigoid, a rare skin condition that produces painful blisters. He is taking the steroid prednisone, which can cause weight gain and, in large doses, can spur severe mood swings.

Since then, he has often appeared tired, his performances in the House of Commons and committees have sometimes lacked his typical verve, and his staff appears to have made his schedule lighter. Flaherty is often sending his parliamentary secretary to events he previously attended himself.

In 2011, there were 44 announcements of ministerial trips or media availabilities on the Finance Canada web site. In 2012, there were 46. In 2013, so far, there have been just 29.

A source close to him, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Flaherty’s strained voice and difficulty moving were due to a cold.

“Minister Flaherty has had some health issues in the past year, which he has discussed publicly,” said the source. “His health has improved markedly since then. Yesterday, obviously, he had a cold and was losing his voice. But I can tell you he is in the midst of the pre-budget preparations and he is as engaged in that work as he has been any other year, and the situation with his health has no impact on that.”

Other sources, all of whom declined to be interviewed on the record, say his low energy level has made it difficult for him to spend the time necessary in demanding briefing sessions with officials. One source familiar with the situation said the minister’s work is suffering.

“It’s a problem,” the source said. “It’s a big problem and it’s getting worse. No one’s been willing to do anything or say anything. It’s not good.”

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty leads Minister of State Kevin Sorenson and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance Andrew Saxton from a news conference following federal-provincial Finance ministers meetingsMonday December 16, 2013 in Chelsea, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

But a spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in an email that Flaherty is well enough to do the job.

“The finance minister has the confidence of the prime minister,” said Jason MacDonald. “His record more than demonstrates why he continues to be considered the best finance Minister in the world. For instance, he’s already created one million net new jobs since the recession and he’s on track to balance the budget by 2015.”

NDP House Leader Nathan Cullen said he hopes Flaherty is looking after himself.

“There are times where I’ve seen him in the House where I’ve felt concerned for his health, that he doesn’t appear well to me,” Cullen said Tuesday.

Liberal Finance critic Scott Brison, who has been exchanging partisan barbs with Flaherty for years, says he doesn’t seem himself.

“He doesn’t seem as robust as usual,” he said. “There has certainly been a change in his performance both in the House and in committee.”

When Flaherty originally announced his illness early in the year, there was an outpouring of support and encouragement for him from all sides of the House of Commons.

Flaherty recently engaged in an unusual and heated exchange with Employment Minister Jason Kenney on the floor of the Commons, angrily rebuking Kenney for calling on Toronto Mayor Rob Ford to resign.

On Sunday, as Flaherty arrived for the meeting with finance ministers, he told reporters that Kenney had trespassed on his turf. “You know, I’m the minister for the Greater Toronto Area,” he said. “I don’t comment on the mayor of Calgary.”

A few weeks ago, Flaherty struggled to control his emotions when he was asked to publicly comment on Rob Ford’s drug problems. He was close to Ford’s father, Doug, when they both served in the Ontario legislature, and is close with the family.